Liqui Moly’s advert with alluring model is ‘not offensive’
IT IS neither unusual nor wrong to use a woman’s sexuality to sell products. This was the conclusion of the Advertising Standards Authority in a ruling last week, after a member of the public complained about a life-size stand for motor oil and lube company Liqui Moly’s products.
The stand featured the company’s blonde German model — Miss Moly or Gizela, as she is known in Germany — wearing high heels, hot pants and a white shirt knotted above her hips and holding two of the company’s products. The stand appears at many car shows and racing events, as well as in stores, and is used to hold brochures for some of Liqui Moly’s more than 4,000 automotive products.
Following a complaint by customer Judy van Schalkwyk, who saw the advert in a Midas store, the advertising authority found that the advert was neither discriminatory nor offensive.
Ms v an Schalkwyk claimed that the model’s sexy attire was "degrading and disrespectful to women" because it was "too revealing and suggestive".
She also said the model’s body was being used for "commercial purposes" — despite this having no relevance to the lubrication products. It also implied that "men cannot discern which oil to buy unless they associate it with a woman’s body", Ms van Schalkwyk argued.
Liqui Moly, which operates in more than 100 countries, defended its advertising campaign, saying its blonde model had appeared in its adverts for years, yet this was the first complaint it had received.
In addition, her clothing was "the order of the day at racing and related events", the company said.
"To a hypothetical reasonable person, her clothing would not be revealing but appropriate in the context of the advertising motor oil … and is also in line with a trendy sporting look or racing event attire," Liqui Moly said.
The company added that the "portrayal of her sexuality" was not "demeaning". The authority agreed, finding that the "phenomenon of using attractive models to promote products" was "nothing new".
"While her mode of dress might be termed as sexy, this does not automatically indicate exploitation," it said in its ruling.
The authority added that a female model, such as Miss Moly, had a right to "actively assert her sexuality", provided it was not inappropriate, and it was "overly simplistic" to presume that men make their purchasing decisions "solely on the presence of a woman".
"A hypothetical reasonable consumer viewing the advertisement would not conclude that the woman is an object or that she is demeaned," it ultimately found.
On Monday, Ms van Schalkwyk could not be reached for comment.
Liqui Moly SA GM Melicia Labuschagne said the Miss Moly adverts had been used for "quite some time" and had proved to be very popular.
"You will never be able to keep everyone happy with products and advertising," she said.